Tbars Project "X" begins

[Tbars4]

...As for batteries, i think they are all a crop shoot...

...To be honest, I think this last one died due to the impact on my accident...I was rear ended hard enough that the battery was knocked completely out of it's holder and was dead 2 days after the accident...

...The reason I have the Interstate battery is they were offering a free 3 year warranty, no receipt needed...When I went to exchange my battery, the shop I bought it from is no longer in biz so I made several phone calls to Interstate dealers which none had my size...

..I finally talked to a guy at Big O and spelled all this out to him and he said no problem...The guy at the counter was new (and trying to please the Mgr) and gave me the riot act about the receipt...I quickly let it be known I wanted to talk to the Mgr. and the guy I talked to on the phone...

...I got my new battery but no one remembers the ads in the last year or so on tv and radio for the free replacement...

..Moral of the story, get the best replacement warranty you can find at a major store... ..And not Wally world, been there done that...

...Right now, both of my trucks have standard batteries...Due to offroading I know better and after this accident, getting gell cell batteries have moved up on my priority list...Be sure to get the highest CCA they have...

...The Optimas out here at AZ are about $200....4wheelparts sells the Red top for $169, 3 yr. and the Yellow top for $179 for one year warranty..You will also need a spacer and hold down bracket IIRC..

...For more Optima and other Gel Cells, this is a good read...:biggthump
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=235601&highlight=optima

...And thanks for the compliments on the trucks...

 

[Stic-o]

...As for batteries, i think they are all a crop shoot...

...To be honest, I think this last one died due to the impact on my accident...I was rear ended hard enough that the battery was knocked completely out of it's holder and was dead 2 days after the accident...

...The reason I have the Interstate battery is they were offering a free 3 year warranty, no receipt needed...When I went to exchange my battery, the shop I bought it from is no longer in biz so I made several phone calls to Interstate dealers which none had my size...

..I finally talked to a guy at Big O and spelled all this out to him and he said no problem...The guy at the counter was new (and trying to please the Mgr) and gave me the riot act about the receipt...I quickly let it be known I wanted to talk to the Mgr. and the guy I talked to on the phone...

...I got my new battery but no one remembers the ads in the last year or so on tv and radio for the free replacement...

..Moral of the story, get the best replacement warranty you can find at a major store... ..And not Wally world, been there done that...

...Right now, both of my trucks have standard batteries...Due to offroading I know better and after this accident, getting gell cell batteries have moved up on my priority list...Be sure to get the highest CCA they have...

...The Optimas out here at AZ are about $200....4wheelparts sells the Red top for $169, 3 yr. and the Yellow top for $179 for one year warranty..You will also need a spacer and hold down bracket IIRC..

...For more Optima and other Gel Cells, this is a good read...:biggthump
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=235601&highlight=optima

...And thanks for the compliments on the trucks...

That's why I got my optima at Costco

 

[Tbars4]

That's why I got my optima at Costco

...Ok, spill it...

...Is this your new battery and how much was it at Costco???

 

[Stic-o]

...Ok, spill it...

...Is this your new battery and how much was it at Costco???

the one that's in my truck, that is 5 yeras old. I bought it at Costco

 

[Tbars4]

...:scratch:...I seem to recall you mentioning you needed a new battery...I found it...
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2304062&postcount=332

The Explorer is getting ready for a new battery soon I want to go to duals this time, so hopefully it will last for awhile longer. Also I heard Optima arn't that great of batteries anymore, may go to a odyseey or something.

 

[Stic-o]

...:scratch:...I seem to recall you mentioning you needed a new battery...I found it...
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2304062&postcount=332

yeah...I said I'm getting close, but I havn't bought one yet. We'll find out next weekend how bad it is. I just leave the explorer on the "battery tender" for now and it always starts, but I think I let battery die too many times before now

 

[Scott B.]

An update on Optima -

They were bought by Johnson Controls several years ago. It seems JC thinks they can do things "better" than Optima, and have "refined" (ie - changed for the worse) some of the manufacturing processes.

Hence the quality drop-off of recent years.

The batteries are no longer built in Colorado, either. They have a state of the art manufacturing facility in Mexico (no EPA, etc.)

My red top is going strong after the alternator issue earlier this year.

When the time comes to buy another battery, I will probably try Optima again. I really like the battery design - it is a good solution for our use. Hopefully, by then, they will have worked the bugs out of their new system.

 

[jwrezz]

I loved my red top, and it lasted for about 8 years. Needed a new one in the spring, and couldn't justify the cost of the optima any more. So I got one from batteries plus. A marine battery actually. Powerful, and big. So far so good. I even left the lites on for about 1.5 hours accidentally. Started right up tho. Here's the battery:
http://www.batteriesplus.com/pc-36475-36475-SLI31MDP.aspx

BTW I left the lites on because lately my key alarm keeps sounding after I pull the key out. As a result, the lites alarm won't sound until after the key alarm stops. They key alarm goes off after about 30 seconds or so. Like there's a delay in recognizing that the key is actually out. Any ideas any one?

 

[Tbars4]

...Thanks for the update Scott...:biggthump

Jwrezz, my first thought would be a dirty/warn, ignition switch...

 

[jwrezz]

Yeah, I was gonna spray some electrical cleaner in there and hope for the best. I don't want to replace it really. I wonder what the part would cost, and if I could use my original key. Hmmm

 

[Tbars4]

...I would say about $20 and they come with new keys from places like Pepboy's...Try searching on our vendors site http://rockauto.com ...

 

[4x4troy]

i just read all 771 post and wow.. i admire your enthusisum for these trucks.and yours is flat out wicked,i am basing my build off of yours,i just got a '92 wed the 14th,and love it so far.great write ups.

 

[Tbars4]

....Thank you for the High Praise...

...The write-ups I do are my way of giving back to the site that has given me so much information, and to hopefully inspire new Explorer/Ranger owners like yourself on their projects...

...Mission Accomplished...:biggthump

 

[Currency]

...I would say about $20 and they come with new keys from places like Pepboy's...Try searching on our vendors site http://rockauto.com ...

I've seen them on ebay for about $10 plus $5 for shipping with 2 keys. Mine needs replaced because I can turn it around and around without a key in it

As for the battery, I'm not sure if I want an optima now or not. Same price as a flowmaster series 40 installed. But my battery is old from the looks of it and my exhaust was replaced 3 months ago by the last owner.

I use to drive an ex girlfriends 92 GMC with a 350 and that thing sucked more gas then my explorer so I don't know how the last owner complained so much about it. I love it

 

[cybergasm]

Any luck yet ?

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/pts/1406691451.html

 

[Tbars4]

...Lol...That's the old one as I have a newer one with a lot more parts for sale...

...But nobody's buying...

...Let me know what you need...

 

[Currency]

...But nobody's buying...

Blame this economy... I have been for 14 months and will continue blaming it until I find a job where I would be able to afford to eat after paying bills

 

[cybergasm]

...Lol...That's the old one as I have a newer one with a lot more parts for sale...

...But nobody's buying...

...Let me know what you need...

Gonna make me look it up the hard way eh?

i know about the not buying part since i have a friend trying to sell some stuff on C/L also and he has not gotten one call on it either.

 

[Tbars4]

...It's finally raining out here...

...My rear side glass is slowly leaking on both sides...Since we had another long summer of 100* temps, I'm hoping they will seal themselves back up with the new found moisture...

..I might have to pull them next spring, re-seal them and get some new metal trim as they look like they have been cooked in an oven and caught fire...The trim that is..

 

[Tbars4]

...I just broke the rear interior door handle on the X..

...It was a simple and painless fix...The handle cost $7 at the junk yard...
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265148

...I forgot to add...I went to both pick n pull's by me on thursday...They are currently having their 1/2 off weekend...I bought this handle and got another present...While pulling out of the jy driveway, a guy hollars to me my rear shock is dragging...

...Yep...This time it was the drivers side rear shock and they started removing it at the top...I need a pos to drive there to get parts...Then they would just think it's a junker and start parting it too...